2 weeks in Bavaria

stratowide

Heading to Bavaria at the end of the month.Flying into Memmnigen and hiring a car.
Looking for advice/tips from anyone thats been.
Interested in:Relaxation,scenic drives,Quiet villages,mountains,alpine chalets,lakes,kayaking,hiking.

Not interested in:nightlife,cities.

Might head to Austria or Switzerland too.
Any recommendations appreciated.

pjproby

Lake Constance

goingnowhere

Freising outside Munich, oldest brewery in the world

Head south, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Seefeld in Tirol, lots of hiking choices

VG31

You should be able to see Upper Bavaria pretty well in two weeks. It may be a good idea to stick to just Upper Bavaria (Southern Bavaria) as you will have long drives to get anywhere in the North. Since you're flying in to Memmingen, I advise starting at Lake Constance and working your way eastwards to Berchtesgaden. We have always only used public transport in Germany so I don't know much about driving there but the route I have suggested seems to be fairly straightforward going by Google Maps.

We spent a few days at Lake Constance this year and it is a beautiful place. Lindau is probably the easiest place to reach from Memmingen. You can do boat trips on the lake from Lindau to Konstanz (http://www.bsb.de/) or the various towns along the lake. Bregenz in Austria is very close to Lindau. There is a cable car up the Pfaender mountain where there is fabulous views over the lake. We stayed in Meersburg about half way down the lake on the German side. This is the most beautiful place we visited around Lake Constance and is not as touristy as Lindau. I highly recommend visiting the flower island of Mainau which was the highlight of our holiday at Lake Constance. You can drive there via the Meersburg-Konstanz car ferry but it is much quicker and more relaxing to take the 15 min boat journey there. There is also Zeppelin and Dornier museums in Friedrichshafen. You can take Zeppelin flights from Friedrichshafen Airport but they are very expensive.

You could head towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen next. Despite how busy it is, the most famous palace of 'Mad King' King Ludwig II, Schloss Neuschwanstein near Füssen is a must see attraction. I would advise buying your tickets in advance. Schloss Hohenschwangau is located beside Neuschwanstein and is much less touristy. Another of Ludwig's palaces is the much smaller and quieter Schloss Linderhof which is definitely worth seeing.

Just north of Garmisch, the town of Oberammergau is one of the prettiest towns in this region. It is famous for its passion plays which are held every ten years. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is a good base you can visit the Partnachklamm gorge and take the cable car up Germany's highest mountain, Zugspitze.

Next you could head towards the southeast of Bavaria to Berchtesgaden, my favourite place in Germany. You could drive to Berchtesgaden via Chiemsee in Germany (where you could visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee the last of Ludwig's palaces) or drive via Innsbruck in Austria. There are plenty of scenic towns on this route but I am not very familiar with the Tirol.

Berchtesgaden is a perfect base for the last part of your trip. As well as the beautiful town itself, Berchtesgaden has a lot to offer in and around its national park. Berchtesgaden is most famous for the Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountain retreat. You can drive to a car park where you then take a special bus up to the top and then a bronze lift. The views from the summit are spectacular. Königseee lake is also a must see. Bear in mind that both attractions get very busy so I advise arriving early. Other attractions include the Salt Mines, the Wimbachklamm gorge and the Jennerbahn cable car. There is also an abundance of walks and hikes in the national park.

I know that you said you are not interested in cities but Salzburg is a lovely small city and an easy day trip from Berchtesgaden.

EverythingGood

stratowide wrote: »

Heading to Bavaria at the end of the month.Flying into Memmnigen and hiring a car.
Looking for advice/tips from anyone thats been.
Interested in:Relaxation,scenic drives,Quiet villages,mountains,alpine chalets,lakes,kayaking,hiking.

Not interested in:nightlife,cities.

Might head to Austria or Switzerland too.
Any recommendations appreciated.

Get a Bayer rail ticket, head to Salzburg. beautiful city, recommend the Castle and the monastery.

stratowide

VG31 wrote: »

You should be able to see Upper Bavaria pretty well in two weeks. It may be a good idea to stick to just Upper Bavaria (Southern Bavaria) as you will have long drives to get anywhere in the North. Since you're flying in to Memmingen, I advise starting at Lake Constance and working your way eastwards to Berchtesgaden. We have always only used public transport in Germany so I don't know much about driving there but the route I have suggested seems to be fairly straightforward going by Google Maps.

We spent a few days at Lake Constance this year and it is a beautiful place. Lindau is probably the easiest place to reach from Memmingen. You can do boat trips on the lake from Lindau to Konstanz (http://www.bsb.de/) or the various towns along the lake. Bregenz in Austria is very close to Lindau. There is a cable car up the Pfaender mountain where there is fabulous views over the lake. We stayed in Meersburg about half way down the lake on the German side. This is the most beautiful place we visited around Lake Constance and is not as touristy as Lindau. I highly recommend visiting the flower island of Mainau which was the highlight of our holiday at Lake Constance. You can drive there via the Meersburg-Konstanz car ferry but it is much quicker and more relaxing to take the 15 min boat journey there. There is also Zeppelin and Dornier museums in Friedrichshafen. You can take Zeppelin flights from Friedrichshafen Airport but they are very expensive.

You could head towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen next. Despite how busy it is, the most famous palace of 'Mad King' King Ludwig II, Schloss Neuschwanstein near Füssen is a must see attraction. I would advise buying your tickets in advance. Schloss Hohenschwangau is located beside Neuschwanstein and is much less touristy. Another of Ludwig's palaces is the much smaller and quieter Schloss Linderhof which is definitely worth seeing.

Just north of Garmisch, the town of Oberammergau is one of the prettiest towns in this region. It is famous for its passion plays which are held every ten years. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is a good base you can visit the Partnachklamm gorge and take the cable car up Germany's highest mountain, Zugspitze.

Next you could head towards the southeast of Bavaria to Berchtesgaden, my favourite place in Germany. You could drive to Berchtesgaden via Chiemsee in Germany (where you could visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee the last of Ludwig's palaces) or drive via Innsbruck in Austria. There are plenty of scenic towns on this route but I am not very familiar with the Tirol.

Berchtesgaden is a perfect base for the last part of your trip. As well as the beautiful town itself, Berchtesgaden has a lot to offer in and around its national park. Berchtesgaden is most famous for the Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountain retreat. You can drive to a car park where you then take a special bus up to the top and then a bronze lift. The views from the summit are spectacular. Königseee lake is also a must see. Bear in mind that both attractions get very busy so I advise arriving early. Other attractions include the Salt Mines, the Wimbachklamm gorge and the Jennerbahn cable car. There is also an abundance of walks and hikes in the national park.

I know that you said you are not interested in cities but Salzburg is a lovely small city and an easy day trip from Berchtesgaden.

Thats great info there.Thanks for such detail.